Ted Leonsis talked to the media this past weekend at the Caps Fan Fest held at Kettler Iceplex in Arlington, and he made sure we all knew that he approves on the direction the Capitals have taken in the last two months:
"So far, so good on that... I think that's a good move in a positive direction to have the organization all singing from the same songbook."
Leonsis went on to say that he likes the way Trotz and MacLellan have communicated with each other, calling them "in total sync" and that their decisions thus far have been in line with one anothers vision of where the Caps should be.
With a combined $67.75M dedicated to two new players at the start of free agency, it's safe to say that GMBM and Trotz are not holding back on re-stocking and re-tooling this team, providing depth to areas that the Capitals have been notably weak the past few eons (it seems).
Leonsis, of course, has to stay positive. This is his investment, and the last few years have been too inconsistent for his - and the fans - liking.
Barry Trotz has impressed Leonsis so far with his work ethic and attention to detail, especially with getting to know his new players.
"I've been very impressed... As a new coach but someone who's been around the League for a long, long time, he's totally enabled to do what he thinks best. It's been great to just watch how organized he is."
Trotz has made it known to his players what he expects come training camp. There are no guarantees on this team, and players will have to prove to Trotz and management that they want to be here and they want to win.
"I think the tonality is going to be very fast and he wants you to work really, really hard when you're on the ice," Leonsis said of Trotz. "He wants our best players to be the first ones here and the last ones off the ice. He's going to be very diligent in that."
One player that has been very vocal about his excitement about coming to Washington and playing for this team is Matt Niskanen. After signing a whopping 7 year deal at $40.25M, Niskanen had this to say over the weekend:
"Just the feel for the direction they were headed and what they're trying to do, it just felt that this is a really good thing for this organization... They've got the pieces. We can put something together and go on a run or two and be together for a while, and I'm really excited about that opportunity. The team we have here has an opportunity to win, and that's the most attractive thing."
Everyone gets excited for the start of the season, and with the changes the Caps have made so far, it looks to be a much better turnout than last years catastrophe. Still, training camp has yet to start, and the returning players have yet to learn another new system and bond with yet another new coach and staff.
Luckily, this time, the players have an experienced and knowledgeable leader on the bench. Trotz is the first Caps coach since Ron Wilson to have NHL experience, and that should prove interesting with players like Ovechkin, Backstrom and Green who have never had to answer to someone like him, especially since Teddy seems to be loosening his grip on how things are run.
Can't wait.
More to come...
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